Skate.



G. B. DREVITSON.

SKATE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21, 1914.

Patented Nov. 3,1914.

UNITED STATES PATEN T OFFICE.

CARL B. DREV ITSON, 0F SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO J. WESLEY DAVIES, OF READING, MASSACHUSETTS.

SKATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. .3, 1914.

Application filed March 21, 1914. Serial No. 826,239.

To all whom it may'concer'n Be it known that I, CARL B. DREVITSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Somerville, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Skates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ice skates, and particularly to the type in which the upper edge portion of the skate runner is inclosed by the base portion of the frame which carries the heel and sole supports, said base portion extending continuously along the upper edge of the runner. A. skate of this general construction is usually called a tubular skate, becauseof the runner edge inclosing form of its base portion.

Heretofore in a skate in whlch the rumier and frame are made of different metals, the

runner being of a relatively hard metal such as steel, the frame base has been attached to the runner by means of rivets or screws, or by soldering or brazing operations, the attachment being more or less deficient in strength and durability.

My invention has .for its object to provide a skate in which the frame base is inseparably secured to the runner, the construction being simple and relatively inexpensive and including-but two parts, viz., the runner, and a foot supportlng frame securely interlocked with the runner and 1ncluding in a single integral piece the frame base and the heel and sole supports which are attachable to the heel and sole of a boot or shoe. 7 y

The invention consists in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specificatlonz Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a skate embodying my invention; Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal section of the same; Fig. 3 represents a section on line -3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 represents a section on line of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 represents asection on l1ne 5 5 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 representsa sectional view of a portion of a skate the runner of which has an upwardly projecting ear at its toe end; Fig. 7 represents a side view of the portion of the runner shown by Fig. 6 as it appears before the frame base is formed thereon; Fig.8 represents a section on line 8-8 of Fig. 7; Fig. 9 represents a section on line 99 of Fig. 7.

The same reference characters indicate the same or similar parts in all the views.

In the drawings, 12 represents a steel runner the surfaces of the upper edge portion of which are diversified, to form lock oint members adapted to be interlocked as hereinafter described with the base 14 of the foot supporting frame, and to permit said base to be cast upon the runner and to contract longitudinally in cooling without liability of transverse fracture of the base. The surfaces of the runner are preferably diversified for the purpose stated by forming continuous longitudinal grooves 13 in the upper edge portions of the sides of the runner, said grooves extending continuously practically from end to end of the portion of the runner which is covered by the base 14, the sides of the grooves forming angular shoulders or lock joint members by their intersection with the sides of the runner.

A pattern of the entire skate made either in wood or metal is placed in a sand mold and then removed, leaving a mold cavity in the sand. The runner is then placed in a portion of the mold cavity and the remaining portions of the cavity are filled with molten metal, preferably aluminum, which forms the base 14 and the heel and sole supports hereinafter described, all these being formed ina single casting. Portions of the metal of the base 14 fill the grooves 13, as indicated by Fig. 4:, and form lock joint members or tongues which are securely interlocked with the grooves 13. The continuity of the grooves enables the metal of the base 14 which fills said grooves to shrink lengthwise in cooling, there being no transverse shoulders or obstacles to the free shrinkage of the cast metal, so that there is no liability of the base 14 being cracked or fractured crosswise in cooling.

The runner is preferably provided at one end of the grooves 13 with a transverse slot 17 extending through the runner from side to side. Said slot is filled by a portion of the cast metal, which forms a neck uniting opposite side portions of the. base 14 as shown by Fig. 5, said neck also constituting a key which resists bodily endwise displacement of the runner relatively to the frame base. Owing to the location of the slot at one end of the grooves 13, the key formed as described in said slot does not so interfere with the longitudinal shrinkage of the cast metal as to cause liability of crosswise fracture, the metal cast in the grooves 13 shrinking longitudinally toward the slot from the opposite end of the skate.

Figs. 6 and 7 show the runner provided with an upwardly projecting ear 20 at its toe end, said car being provided with a sub stantially vertical slot 21. The base 14 is cast with an upwardly projecting extension 22 which incloses the major portion of said ear, and fills the slot 21. The distance between the slots 17 and 21 is relatively slight, so that the cast metal is not liable to be fractured between said slots while shrinking. Cup-shaped foot supports 24 and 25 are cast integral with the base 14. The support 24 has a flange 26 projecting both outwardly and inwardly from its upper end, and forming a heel support of suitable area, said flange being provided, if desired, with holes for attaching screws. The support 25 has a flange27 also projecting outwardly and inwardly from its upper end, and extended forward toward the toe end to form a suitable sole support which may be likewise secured to a sole. A strut 29 is cast 1ntegral with the extended forward portion of the flange 27, and with the forward portion of the base 14, said strut afi'ordmg an adequate support for the fore part of the flange 27. u

I find that in practice an aluminum base 14 cast on a grooved runner conforms closely to all of the diversified surfaces of the runner, and is firmly and inseparably united to the runner whether the runner is provided with the transverse slot or slots above described or not. I prefer to slot the runner however, because the interlocking of the cast metal with the slot or slots imparts additional strength to the union between the frame base and runner, and strengthens the skate at its toe portion, which is frequently subjected to rough usage.

The frame base 14 is a solid body and, while presenting the same general appearance as the hollow frame base of a so-called tubular skate, cannot be appreciably indented. The grooves 13 should be straight and extend substantially parallel with the upper edge of the runner'to permit the described freedom of longitudinal shrinkage.

The construction may be variously modified to secure the results and advantages above set forth without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The frame base 14 is approximately tubuand portions of the sides of the runner, and

has a continuous elongated bearing on the runner as in a so-called tubular skate. By making said approximately tubular base of cast metal, which contracts in solidifying, I cause the side portions of the base to engage the sides of the runner witn a vise-like grip, so that the base and runner are practically inseparable.

Aluminum is the best metal of which I am aware, this metal being light, non-corrosive, and sufficiently strong, and contracting by solidification from a molten condition sufficiently to gras'pthe runner.

-Having described my invention, I claim: 1. A skate comprising a runner having surfaces which are diversified at the upper edge portion of the runner to form lock joint members, and a cast metal frame base having complemental lock joint members conforming to and interlocked with the members on the runner, the joint members on the runner being formed to permit the joint members of the base to shrink lengthwise without fracture of the base.

2. A skate comprising a runner having continuous longitudinal grooves in the upper portions of its sides and a frame base cast upon the upper edge portion of the runner, portions of the base filling said grooves and being adapted by the continuity of the grooves to shrink longitudinally without resistance tending to fracture the base crosswise.

3. A skate comprising a runner having continuous longitudinal grooves in the upper portions of its sides, and a transverse slot at one end of the grooves and extending through the runner from side to side, and a frame base cast upon the upper edge portion of the runner, portions of the base filling. said grooves and slot, the entire groove filling portions being adapted by the continuity of the grooves to shrink longitudinally toward the slot.

4. A skate comprising a runner having longitudinal grooves in the upper portions of its sides and an upwardly projecting ear at its forward end, said ear having a slot extending through it from 'side to side, and a frame base cast upon the upper edge portion of the runner and upon the ear, portions of the base filling said slot and grooves.

5. A skate comprising a runner having surfaces which are diversified at the u per edge portion of the runner to form ock joint members, and a cast metal frame base having complemental lock joint members conforming to and interlocked with the members on the runner, the base being provided with heel and sole supports cast integral with said base.

6. A skate comprising a runner havin surfaces which are diversified at the upper edge portion of the runner to form lock joint members, a cast metal frame base having complemental lock joint members conforming to and interlocked with the membars on the runner, and cup-shaped supports cast integral with the base and having heel and sole supporting flanges at their upper ends, said flanges projecting both inwardly and outwardly from the supports to form supporting faces of suitable area.

7. A skate comprising a runner having surfaces Which are diversified at the upper edge portion of the runner to form lock joint members, a cast metal frame base having complemental lock joint members conforming to and interlocked with the members on the runner, cup-shaped supports cast integral with the base and having heel and sole supporting flanges, thesole-sup porting flange being extended forward from its support, and a strut cast integral with the sole supporting flange and base and upper edge portion of the runner, and composed of metal which contracts in solidifying, whereby the side portions of the base are caused to grip the sides of the runner.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

CARL B. DREVITSON.

Witnesses:

C. F. BROWN, J. M. DAvIEs. 

